Cuomo: LI bars and restaurants among those in violation of mask, alcohol laws
Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo on Sunday expressed frustration at those who continue to ignore his COVID-19 safety orders. Credit: Office of Governor Andrew M. Cuomo/Kevin P. Coughlin
Bars and restaurants on Long Island, New York City and elsewhere downstate were hit with more than 100 violations on Friday and Saturday for failing to have employees wear masks and for ignoring open-container laws, a frustrated Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo said Sunday.
While COVID-19 cases, hospitalizations and deaths continue to drop across the state, Cuomo said a new surge is possible if people continue to flout social distancing and other regulations.
Members of the state's task force that is focused on violations of coronavirus-related regulations at bars and restaurants issued 189 violations between July 21 and Saturday, according to the governor's office. The majority were in the city and on Long Island, officials said.
"This weekend in every county in downstate NY investigators found blatant disregard for the law at bars & restaurants," Cuomo tweeted Sunday. "The state will enforce health laws. If we don’t, the virus will spread."
In a conference call with reporters Sunday morning, Cuomo said the task force issued 105 violations at downstate bars and restaurants Friday and Saturday nights. Most violations stemmed from employees failing to wear masks and violations of the state’s open container laws. The New York State Liquor Authority Board will convene Monday to consider which operations should have their licenses suspended, Cuomo said.
"We have a compliance challenge, especially for young people, especially around bars," he said.
The state Liquor Authority has brought 443 charges against establishments with liquor licenses since the pandemic started in March, according to a spreadsheet on the state's website. That includes 45 locations in Nassau and Suffolk counties.
The spreadsheet had not been updated Sunday to include all of the newly announced 189 violations, so it was unclear how many of those involved establishments on Long Island.
The New York positive testing rate fell to 1%, or 536 of 55,568 tests Saturday — down from 1.05% Friday.
Three people died of COVID-19 in the state, down from 10 Friday, bringing the statewide death toll to 25,106. Hospitalizations fell to 637 Saturday, down from 646 the day before, Cuomo said.
“That’s a new low for us since March 18,” he said. “So, really great news."
Nassau County Executive Laura Curran said in a statement that Nassau County will "continue to take seriously our critical enforcement responsibility so that we can continue moving forward."
"COVID-19 is still a real concern and what comes next depends on all of us," she said.
Curran spokesman Mike Fricchione said Nassau County has issued approximately 989 violation orders or warnings and a total of 70 appearance tickets since the executive order was initiated on March 20.
"The number of complaints, warnings and appearance tickets have been steady," he said in a statement. "Appearance tickets have been issued across the county from North Shore to the South Shore — not one area being the center of activity.”
Nassau County Police Commissioner Patrick Ryder said education is the most successful way to change the behavior of individuals in violation of the regulations.
"In the event that an individual or group refuses to be compliant, we will issue summons," he said in a statement.
Suffolk County Executive Steve Bellone said in a statement that the police department is "out in full force enforcing the governor’s public health laws and will hold those who are blatantly noncompliant accountable for their actions.”
The county worked with the state to carry out inspections, a spokesman said.
Six of the violations listed on the state's tracker included sites in Bay Shore, which worked to revive its downtown.
Bay Shore Chamber of Commerce president Donna Periconi said that she is not aware of any issues in Bay Shore and said the violations were small and did not include crowding.
“They abide by all the detailed rules because they don’t want any difficulties,” she said. “Nobody wants to close down. Everybody wants to survive. Everyone wants to continue serving the community ... They can’t afford to lose their liquor licenses."
Southampton Town Supervisor Jay Schneiderman said Sunday that the town police department has worked hard to maintain compliance with Cuomo's orders on social distancing and mask wearing.
Schneiderman said he was not aware of the state task force inspecting South Fork businesses and that for the most part people were complying. Several hamlets and villages in the town, including Bridgehampton, Flanders and Quogue Village, recorded zero new cases of the virus in the past week, according to the latest data from Suffolk County.
“I think we are part of New York State’s success, and I hope the governor recognizes how hard we are working at the local level to prevent the spread,” Schneiderman said.
He urged people to see masks not as “something that confines them … rather see it as something that liberates them. That allows them to be out with other people doing things."
With Rachelle Blidner and Jesse Coburn
Lisa joined Newsday as a staff writer in 2019. She previously worked at amNewYork, the New York Daily News and the Asbury Park Press covering politics, government and general assignment.
